Bruce
by Hallowed Be Thy Name 683
Summary: Nine men stranded in Nun with nothing more to do then complete a simple mission. But can Bruce hold his sanity while keeping the group functioning? I'm returning to this story, A short chapter 3 is up.
1. Welcome to Nun

2544

Lyxium System.

PFC Bruce Marlow

**Touchdown.**

The second Bruce's boots hit the dirt; he could feel the heat of raining plasma uncomfortably heat his body. The sky shun orange with the blackest of thunderclouds spewing lighting and distant cracks surround the city. Next to these clouds, lie one of many Covenant cruisers attacking Transylvania IV.

Much closer to Bruce however, was a pelican, sending sand and dirt flying around him and the company, He was number six, behind him, three more marines fanned out, leaving the company number at nine. Bruce hopelessly scanned the air for the other pelicans, but he had seen what the cruiser had done to them.

Bruce looked back at his boots, sand lay under them, Transylvania IV was a desert planet, in some respects, a similar climate to some earth deserts in the Middle-east or Africa. Of course, a few regions were different; the jungles of Seboa, ice cliffs of Winnipeg II, assuming the covenant hadn't glassed all these regions yet.

Bruce ducked down into a crouch on the balls of his feet, lay his MA5B on his right knee and rested his two arms on opposite ends of the balancing weapon. To the right of him, was PFC Henry, the sniper and engineer. Beside him lay 3 B00TS. McMillan, Andrew, And Leonard. All gripping their MA5B's, anxiousness and Nervousness filled their movement. Corporal Lichk, CQC specialist gripped a standard issue UNSC shotgun and moved swiftly behind the cover of a nearby building corner, PFC Fewing's lay in the dirt with an SMG and, for the 5th time since touchdown, checked it for jams and counted his magazines. Corporal Wayne crouched with his PRTP BR55 ranged assault rifle and medical gear. This man was a saint; he fought the covenant on seven different planets and saved the lives of his comrades an uncountable amount of times, he was one of the most skilled medics in the UNSC. And at last, Sergeant Scott, a man that was feared, honored, and well credited for any accomplishment he has ever made.

Bruce looked to the sky one last time, his pelican lifted up and went to join the one other surviving pelican to circle the city at a range to risky for the cruisers to shoot them, and plenty far away for the covenant ground forces to down them. Two groups of hornets circled low in the city, ready to engage and assist the ground forces, the sarge had the support of three of them. One final thing caught his attention, ten small specs shot through the thundercloud, Bruce immediately recognized them as HEV pods. The ODST entrance of choice, these crazy fuckers would ride through the atmosphere in these things and be dropped into the heat of combat. It shocked Bruce that 10 had actually made it through the atmosphere, things might be picking up.

Bruce looked at the Sergeant, then back at the company, were they ready for this? Any soldiers left in the city, civilians, anything left was up to them, the survivors from the other pelican, the few ODST's, and the convoy of three warthogs and one scorpion tank trying to get the attention of the covenant forces in the city, to make their jobs a little bit easier. Bruce wasn't sure if they were still alive. Bruce looked down once more, at his boots, then the sarge, who he could tell was about to give his first order. Buckle in mother fucker, this is the real deal, Bruce shook off his thoughts, and focused on the task at hand.

"Order Sir?" Bruce essentially announced to the group, but was still directed at Scott. Scott looked at him briefly, and shook off some sort of daze, the whole group was disorientated right now. "Uh…" Scott moaned. "We need to get the coms system up and then proceed with the mission." He called over Henry, who removed his backpack and began working on the receiver within it.

"The rest of you" Scott announced. "Welcome to Nun"


	2. The Streets

2544

Lyxium System.

PFC Bruce Marlow

The Streets

"How about a different satellite?" Bruce suggested to Henry, who was hard at

work trying to get the COM functioning properly. "Na, that's not the problem" Henry

replied with a grunt. "It's just not cycling frequencies properly, were getting every single

broadcasted message at once, making it impossible to get any responses from whoever

we contact." Henry then whipped out a utility knife, twirled it between his fingers, and

precisely, cut a single wire. "Might be working now," Henry announced as he closed the

COM devices compartment.

Scott put his hand to his neck, activating his neural interfaces integrated COM

system. "Nothing" he said. Henry re-opened the device and began working once again.

Bruce rose from his crouched position and walked towards the sergeant, trying to make

out some of the COM traffic. "Anything Sarge?" Bruce asked. Scott attempted to listen

once more, but lowered his hand and shook his head. "Nothing, ive got bits and pieces of

the battle in orbit, seems like things are the most calm up there, but I can't make out

anything on the ground." Bruce intentionally looked towards the ground, then back at

Scott. "So not a thing on the ODST's or our convoy?" Scott seemed slightly aggravated

when he replied. "Jackshit, this things a mess, mayb-"

Scotts head shifted sharply and he began speaking. "Eden, this is Sergeant L Scott

of Baker company, we need some sort of situation report before we move on over".

Everyone within earshot, including Bruce, activated their COM systems to check if it was

working, which it was, Henry shut the maintenance panel with exaggerated enthusiasm.

Bruce was pleased, and everyone continued looking at the Sarge as he got his requested

SIT-REP from Eden, The orbital MAC cannon hosting command. Scott had a series of

expressions as he conversed, sadness, bliss and rage. Scott finished, and looked to the

group. "Mission still-ago, pack up, were moving."

Bruce jogged in formation with the rest of the squad rifle semi leveled. Bruce had

a feeling of lightness in the center of his body, nervousness. He had been in combat

before, he had even taken down a few elites, three actually, but, all times with help.

Bruce knew him and the "squad" he decided he would now call it, wouldn't have much

trouble if they ran into jackals or grunts, but they might disengage or sneak around if they

encounter Elites and/or beyond. Of course, Bruce was assuming they'd be running into

small groups of enemies, he should know it will be quiet the contrary…

Fewings took the right flank with one of the boots. Lichk took the rear, one boot;

Wayne was next to the Sarge up front. And Bruce took the all-important right, with one

boot. Leonard. They jogged through an open street, every time their boots touched the

ground and lifted, sand was sent flying to the right, right into Bruce and Leonard.

Fuckers. They approached an intersection in the street, Scott signaled everyone to fall on

the wall behind him. They all did, Scott cautiously peaked around the corner, and

retreated it quickly. He looked back at them, and whispered: " One wraith, a couple

dozen infantry, mostly grunts, saw one elite, red, about a quarter mile down the road

crossing another intersection, going to way we came, bypass, any objections?" No one

said anything. "I'll go first, start signaling you over one by one". Before anyone even

reacted, Scott spun and sprinted for the corner of a building on the other end of the

intersection. When he got there, he spun again and looked at the squad, and signaled over

the next member. Wayne sprinted, and took position behind Scott, followed by Fewings,

Henry, next was supposed to be Bruce but he signaled Leonard to go first.

Bruce was up, he gripped his rifle and ran, he got a quick glimpse of the covenant

troops traveling through the city. They all were crossing the intersection, as the Sarge had

Said, they all had taken up defensive positioning around the wraith, which was lopsided,

had it been damaged? By what? But during this short time, Bruce was sure the Elite had

looked at him briefly, right in the eye. When he got to Scott he took position behind

Leonard. Lichk followed, then the two boots. They held position for a minute or two,

Scott peered down the street, watching until the last covie was no longer visible… Bruce

assumed. He turned toward them, and gave the signal to fall back into position. They

resumed running down the streets.


	3. Hate Crew Deathroll

2544

Lyxium System.

PFC Bruce Marlow

Hate Crew Deathroll

The squad at a half jog through the streets rifles leveled, and had been doing so for nearly two hours straight, scanning the low buildings surrounding them, they were at a cross between downtown and uptown, right in the middle. Some two or so story buildings surrounded them, every one was a little bit different, but at the same time, to Bruce, everything looked a bit alike.

He Knew if they were spotted, even having they're rifles leveled wouldn't make a difference, so, to him, it seemed smarter to want to die without having you're shoulder about to fall, so he decided to do the most logical thing anyone would do, bitch.

"Sarge, fucks sake, my arms bruising, can we go can we lower our rifles?" He spat out with a pant. The sergeant froze and lifted his right arm to signal hold, for a second, Bruce thought he was about to bitch him out, he took the time to check his watch, 11:35.44 earth time, but he soon realized something was wrong, then Bruce saw it.

Covenant seraphs, exiting the covenant carrier floating over the city, a huge wave, about 70 or so, most of them heading into the atmosphere, but a small group, 10 or so, headed towards the city… straight at them.

"They spotted us…" Scott announced, he turned to the left and dove through the glass of a near building, landing and doing a roll, the urgency of the situation caught up to Bruce.

"Move!" Scott yelled. "Follow me letsgo lets go!" The squad sprinted through the building, as Bruce leapt through the broken window, the back of his heel caught the frame, and he face and wrist planted the ground… right where the broken glass had been, he wanted to scream, it hurt so much, but he didn't have time, an arm grabbed the back of his collar and dragged him along the floor a bit before he rose to his feet, it was fewings, but he didn't look back expecting a thank you when Bruce rose, he just kept sprinting, and so did Bruce.

They exited the back entrance of the building (had it been a novelty shop?) Pushing they're bodies into the door, and kept sprinting down a new road that lead straight east from the seraphs southbound attack pattern, Bruce felt sonic booms and increased heat, a blue tint began to erupt in the environment, they had already begun the carpet bomb. Bruce and Fewings sprinted, Bruce spotted a nook in the wall, he grabbed Fewing's shoulder and pulled him and himself into it. They crouched as far from the corner as possible, intense heat covered them, Noise was destroying his eardrums, he wasn't sure if it was the covenant carpet bomb, or Him and Fewings screaming for they're live when he blacked out.

He wasn't sure if he was conscience, he tried to move, but something blocked him, he was able to wriggle him arms to freedom, and placed his hands on whatever it was on top of him, causing the total darkness. As he placed his hands on the shrapnel, he immediately felt sharp pain in them, he continued pushing regardless, whatever it was came loose, and he was able to pull himself out of the hole and back into the dusty, grey light, he sat there, panting, bleeding, he scanned the area around him. Buildings were toppled, some frames remained, no glass in sight, he wasn't sure about the range of the blast, but it had been bid, he looked at his hands, glass stuck deep into both of them, he tried to pull one of the pieces out. Sticking his fingers deep into his flesh, the gushing of the muscles and tissue send sharp pains into him.

Here treated his hand with a half inch piece of glass in the infer tips. He then looked at his watch, it was 11:37.36.


End file.
